Averting August
by ridiculousRaven
Summary: Leaving high school and with college approaching, boyfriends Tai and Izzy have a whirlwind summer extravaganza. As the end draws near, will the boys stay on the same path? Or be forced to separate at a fork in their road?
1. Graduation

"Congratulations Odaiba High School class of 2015!" An entire group of people in green robes stood up in unison to throw caps of the same green as high into the air as possible. The room filled with noises of all sorts, ranging from cries of the graduates to the applause of the audience.

"Izzy! Izzy, we did it!" Tai Kamiya had just found his cap when he spotted Izzy Izumi in the hectic crowd. The tall boy ran up and shared a short, sweet kiss with his boyfriend. "I wouldn't have made it here without you, buddy!"

"Calculus almost had you beat, but it was all you, Tai," said Izzy. "I'm so proud of you!" Tai wrapped his arm around Izzy's neck and started for their parents waiting outside.

"PICTURES, BOYS!" It was hard to tell which woman was more excited about graduation: Mrs. Kamiya or Mrs. Izumi. Tai and Izzy had taken pictures not only with each other, but just about every person they ever went to school with over the past 13 years.

"Izzy, help," whispered Tai. "I don't think I can stop smiling. I'm stuck like this, look!" Izzy glanced over at Tai to see him stretching his smile as far as he possibly could. "Stop!" said Izzy, "You look like Piedmon!" The boys and their families burst out into laughter, Izzy going on to beat Tai with an even bigger smile.

The original team of Digidestined had planned a joint graduation party many months in advance. Mimi had even put her American roadtrip on hold for the event.

T.K. and Kari spent an entire day decorating a local venue for the party and wouldn't let the other six see it until they walked in for the actual event.

"We're almost inside, guys. I'm so excited for you to see it!" said Kari leading the blindfolded group.

"Can we speed things up?" said Joe, "Being blindfolded reminds me of the time when I ran into a piñata."

"Alright, blindfolds off!" yelled T.K.

The six graduates removed their blindfolds to see banners of orange, blue, red, purple, green, and gray covering the ceilings. The round tables had centerpieces with paper mache digivices. A banquet of foods lined the side of the venue.

XXX

"Thanks for coming everyone!" said Tai, "And thanks for all your presents!"

"Now let's PARTY!" yelled Mimi grabbing Sora and running onto the dance floor.

The crowd giggled along with the group of friends as the lights dimmed and the DJ began his set. His light show came on and it quickly became difficult to have a conversation with the person next to you.

"Let's move to the kitchen, Tai," said Izzy. Before the Tai could respond, the red head had grabbed his hand and was making haste. Matt and Joe noticed and followed.

"Much better," said Izzy "I don't think I'll ever enjoy the atmosphere of a loud party."

"You're so weird, Izzy," said Tai pulling up a stool to sit on. "But whatever, we have all night to dance. No need to start right away."

Matt and Joe managed to find some leftover appetizer plates that hadn't been opened inside the fridge and brought them over for the group to share.

"So, Matt" said Joe "When does your band leave for your tour?"

"Monday morning, 4:00 a.m. sharp," said Matt. "Which cannot come quick enough if you ask me. I can't wait to get out of here."

"But what about Sora? You don't want to leave her, do you?" asked a concerned Izzy.

Matt avoided making eye contact with the other boys, looking down at his nervously dancing feet before finally speaking. "Well, we kind of broke things off…"

"WHAT?!" said the group. Joe's glasses tilted on his face in his surprise, but he didn't seem to care. Izzy had grabbed Tai's hand for physical and possibly emotional support.

Tai gulped and managed to ask the next question you ask in this sort of situation. "When? Why?"

"This morning," said Matt. "With me going on tour and her starting her college courses early, we would have no time for each other. It was the best decision for both parties."

The rest of the boys were still rather speechless. Matt and Sora had been together since before high school even started. And all of the sudden, they weren't anymore. It was like as if two planets casually decided to switch places.

"We would have never been able to see each other," said Matt filling the silence. "There's really no point to a relationship if you're constantly separated."

Tai and Izzy glanced at each other at seemingly the exact same time. All Tai really wanted to do was hold Izzy, as he was suddenly so grateful for him. Izzy couldn't imagine not being with Tai after all this time and didn't understand how Matt was holding up so well.

"I have more aunts and uncles here than I can count, so I'm gonna go mingle," said Matt. "I'll see you guys out there later."

"That's really unfortunate about Matt and Sora, but life goes on," said Joe. "I wouldn't want to be tied down while I was going to school, in my honest opinion. You two are going to the same school in the fall, right?"

"Yah!" said Tai, "We're going to be roommates!"

"Good for you guys. You won't have to worry about not being together or…I'm coming, I'm coming oh my gosh"

Joe was interrupted mid sentence by Yolei, who had ran in and demanded a slow-dance with him. Tai and Izzy were left alone in the kitchen.

Joe's trailing words left Tai worried about his future with Izzy. What if, even though they'd be roommates at the same school, college tore them in opposite directions? "Just look what happened to Matt and Sora," thought Tai, "It only took a little bit of separation to break them up." Tai realized he had to make sure he and Izzy wouldn't start to drift apart.

"I love you, Izzy," said Tai brushing his hand against the shorter boy's cheek. "Promise me we'll always be together."

Tai didn't realize how childish his words sounded until after they had left his mouth. How could he make Izzy promise his something he knew could easily be broken?

Izzy knew what Tai was asking him to promise was a bit ridiculous, but was used to the ridiculous having Tai for a boyfriend guaranteed.

"Tai, it's ok to be apart. It's healthy. I love you too, but isn't being together all the time a little much to ask for?" said Izzy.

"Just. Promise me. Please." Tai had switched from serious boy to adorable google-head, which just happened to be Izzy's weakness.

Izzy couldn't contain his grin. "Alright, alright. You and I will always be together."

Tai rubbed his nose against Izzy's forehead. "Promise?"

"Promise."

Xxxxx

A week had gone by since the graduation party. Mimi was deep in the heart of Texas by this point and had been sure to send postcards from every state she visited. Sora and Joe began summer courses at the local community college and Matt was preparing for his 5th show of the week 200 miles away.

"Izzy, dear, can you see if the mail is here?" Mrs. Izumi was preparing breakfast for the family + Tai on the early Saturday morning.

"Sure thing, mom!" Izzy walked out the door and down the stairs to the mailroom. Tai got himself situated on the counter, watching Mrs. Izumi at work.

"Have you sent in those roommate request forms to Keio University yet, Tai?" asked Mrs. Izumi

"Yes, I sent them in a few days before graduation. I'm hoping we get approved and soon!" said Tai.

"Izzy's major is Science and Technology, but what is yours again?"

"Business and Commerce. Nothing else really seemed to fit. And it also all sounded so boringgg" said Tai.

The sound of the front door closing was accompanied by Izzy walking in very slowly, reading something.

"What you got there, bud?" asked Tai.

Izzy paused and looked up from the paper that was trembling in his hands. "It's a letter," said Izzy quietly. "It's a letter…from Nagaoka University of Technology."

Mrs. Izumi gasped and ran over to Izzy. Tai remained seated, his heart in his throat.

"Well?" shrieked Mrs. Izumi. "What does it say?"

"Dear Mr. Izzy Izumi…"


	2. Parks and Picnic Tables

"We apologetically write to inform you that your former wait-list letter was a mistake made in our admissions office. Congratulations, you have been accepted to Nagaoka University of Technology! In preparation for your attendance to our acclaimed university, please sign up for an orientation date as soon as possible. We cannot wait to see what successes you will accomplish here with us at Nagaoka! Sincerely, Olive Yomotoshi, chair of admissions."

Mrs. Izumi had squeezed Izzy in an excited hug, jumping up and down with glee. "Oh, Izzy, I'm so happy! I knew they had made some sort of mistake!"

A few months prior, Izzy had been devastated when he had been wait-listed at the school of his dreams. Nobody, not even Tai, could get him to talk for a few days. He only came around when Tai reminded him that where you go to school doesn't matter. "What matters is how you apply your talents and you have a ton of those," Tai said.

"Mom, you're going to kill me before I get a chance to celebrate!" yelled Izzy red in the face from all the squeezing. Mrs. Izumi hugged Izzy gently one more time.

Meanwhile, Tai felt like his emotions had all been deposited into his gut and were being blended. He was ecstatic that his boyfriend got into his dream school. He was worried that he and Izzy wouldn't be able to go the same school now. On top of all this, he was hungry and Mrs. Izumi had completely forgotten about the breakfast she was cooking and it burned. Tai added sadness to his list as he glanced at the now black bacon.

"Congratulations, babe!" said Tai finally getting up from his seat. "I'm super proud of you!"

"Thanks, Tai. I just can't believe it still. NAGAOKA!" Izzy passionately kissed Tai, then ran to his parent's room to deliver the news to his dad. "DAD, wake up!"

Tai couldn't help but grin about how Izzy's character had changed from sleepy teen to 5-year old who was visiting a public park for the first time. He decided he would wait until Izzy realized the new problem that had arose on his own. Tai didn't want to rain on his parade.

Xxxxxx

"Hey, it's Saturday!"

Tai looked up from the pillow he'd been resting his head on to listen to Izzy. The two had been laying together in silence while Izzy did some research on his laptop.

"Yes, Izzy, it is," said Tai. "I'm glad you know how to use that calendar I got you."

"Which was a super lame gift, by the way. Even if it is covered with fun HTML coding to learn," said Izzy. "I mean, it's Saturday night. We should go to the park!"

For longer than they had been together, Tai and Izzy frequented the park on Saturday nights. Kids weren't there because it was so late and Saturday meant everyone old enough was out at bars. It was perfectly private and relaxing.

Tai hopped on the idea, as he was on the verge of crashing out on Izzy's bed soon. "I'll race you there?" joked the tall boy.

"Yah, no," laughed Izzy. "You can hold my hand while we walk though, seems like a fair trade."

"Hardly, but ok." Izzy punched Tai in the arm and decided to race him, but only to the front door. Tai deemed it unfair, but Izzy insisted he was the one who wanted to race in the first place. Tai argued against his boyfriend's logic the entire walk.

Xxxxxxx

The pair sat on a green picnic bench, fog seemingly trapping them in the children's play area.

"So, we should probably talk about what's going to happen now," said Izzy almost whispering.

Tai side-eyed the red-haired boy. He realized he was dumb to think Izzy didn't immediately realize his acceptance to Nagaoka would interfere with the plans they had already made.

"I'm over the moon excited that I've been accepted to Nagaoka, but I haven't made any decisions yet," said Izzy. "I've been at battle with everything since this morning actually."

Izzy hoped Tai would recognize his sincerity. Though Nagaoka was everything he wanted in a school, Tai was everything he wanted in a person. It was a different experience for Izzy, who normally knew what the right answer was.

"I want you to come to Keio with me" said Tai suddenly. His words seemed to echo. "Shit," thought Tai. "That is not what was supposed to come out."

Izzy's fingers were tapping all along the part of the bench he was sitting on. Tai knew Izzy only did that when he was nervous.

"I'm sorry…that's not what I meant."

"Obviously it is since it came out of your mouth." Izzy's lips trembled with some anger.

"Oh, c'mon. That's not fair!" yelled Tai standing up. "This affects both of us. Am I not allowed an opinion?"

"You are, but not one so straightforward!" said Izzy. "I JUST told you I hadn't made a decision yet. But you seem to think just because you say what you want that I'll give it to you? I'm not a pushover, Tai."

"I said I'm sorry!" yelled Tai grabbing his hair in frustration. "I'll admit it, I'm scared. Izzy, this is terrifying."

"What do you have to be afraid of? Regardless of what I choose, you'll go to Keio. Nothing changes." Izzy stared directly into Tai's eyes as he uttered this.

"Nothing changes? Are you fucking kidding me?" Tai got in Izzy's face. "If you go to Nagaoka, we can't be together anymore! Don't you get that?"

"Alright, simmer down drama queen." Izzy quickly became concerned, as he didn't know where these feelings his boyfriend was expressing originated from. He ran his hand through the silky brown hair. "Why wouldn't we be together anymore?"

"You saw what happened with Matt and Sora. They've been together for years and all it took to end it was them going down different paths." Tai had begun to tear up, which shocked Izzy. Tai was supposed to be the strong one.

"I'm pretty insulted right now, honestly," said Izzy staring off into the distance.

"Because of what I said?" asked a sorrowful Tai. "I do want you to come with me to Keio, but I would never force you. Izzy, your life is yours."

"Not because of that. Because you had the audacity to compare us to Matt and Sora." Tai looked at Izzy with a perplexed look, one Izzy secretly enjoyed putting on his face.

"We are not Matt and Sora. I love you so much, Tai. It's going to take a lot more than distance to mess up what we have. This isn't just physical for me and I sure hope it isn't for you. We have an emotional connection, a strong one."

Izzy felt so relieved. He knew he loved Tai, but found out just how much he really meant to him. He didn't realize it until he actually said it out loud, but Tai was everything.

"Izzy, I'm sorry about starting this argument. I love you too," said Tai. "We can figure this out. We can figure it out together."

"We would have had to talk about it eventually," said Izzy. "I'm just glad this happened right away. I can't imagine what would have happened if we had bottled all this up until August."

"I don't think I would have lasted that long," said Tai. "You probably would have bought a Nagaoka University shirt and I would have punched you in the face again."

"Well then," said Izzy laughing. "I'm sure glad that wasn't the outcome of all this."

"Don't stop worrying to soon," said Tai. "We still have three whole months for you to piss me off again."

"And I'll be sure to try my hardest…" Izzy paused. "To do exactly that."

Tai knocked Izzy off the picnic table and onto the grass that was in much need of a trim. Tai pinned his laughing boyfriend the ground and kissed him harder than he ever had before. He made a pact with himself to make the most out of his summer with Izzy, regardless of how it would end.

Izzy felt the weight of his boyfriend pressing down on him and decided it was nothing compared to the weight of the decision that lay ahead of him. He pulled Tai in close, in attempts to make him feel heavier.


	3. White Seeds

May 19th. 91 days. 91 days until Tai and Izzy would depart for their first semester of college. Before Nagaoka, it seemed like August 19th was an eternity away. Now 91 days seemed like it would come in a matter of seconds.

"Why did we choose August 19th again?" Tai was dribbling his soccer ball and making it bounce against the wall hard enough to come back to him so he could kick it again. "It's a weird date, not to mention it's in the middle of the week."

Izzy sat with legs criss-crossed, holding one of Tai's bed pillows. "Classes don't start until the 24th of August," said Izzy without looking up from his phone. "Leaving on the 19th will give us time to both move in and get familiar with the campus before then."

"THE campus," thought Tai. "What campus is he thinking of right now? Keio or Nagaoka? Will we be getting familiar with the same place 91 days from now?"

Tai visibly shook his head to stop his negative thoughts. He was already having a difficult time with the promise he made himself. He loved Izzy, but he couldn't look at him now without being reminded of their situation. It was going to be difficult to overcome.

"I've probably already asked a billion times, but are you going to both orientation dates?" asked Tai.

"I'll have to. I think orientation will help me make a decision even faster, if I haven't made one by then." Izzy still hadn't looked up from his phone to look at his boyfriend. He desperately wanted to avoid confrontation and this way his way of going about it.

Tai hated seeing the computer wizard in distress, especially knowing he played the lead role in why he was behaving this way. Suddenly, Tai's thoughts struck what he hoped was gold.

"Do you think I could maybe go to the Nagaoka orientation with you?"

The room was suddenly filled with silence, Tai's released hopes, and the sounds of the words on the cusp of Izzy's lips.

"You know, I was pretty upset that my parent's have a cruise already planned for that weekend. I was already dreading going alone. I'd love for you to go!" Izzy finally tossed his phone away, gazing into the brown eyes he never could get enough of.

"Then it's settled!" said Tai sitting down next to Izzy. "You're not the only one who has to like this school, I have to approve!"

Izzy laughed and pecked Tai on the forehead. If Tai could be like this through the entire process, maybe making a decision wouldn't be as hard as he thought.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It had been almost a week since the incident at the park and Tai felt bad that he really hadn't done much to make up for it.

"Kari, could you help me out?" Tai had reached a romantic block of sorts and couldn't think of anything for him and Izzy to do together. His last resort for anything was Kari and she never let him down.

"Sure, what do you need? Advice, guidance, a lecture?" Kari grinned at her brother's impatient expression.

"Not exactly. I need help figuring out something for Izzy and I to do later. And not just hang out and play video games like we always do! I need something…" Tai looked to the floor to avert his sister's gaze. "I need something…..romantic."

Kari shrilled with glee as she hugged her brother. "Tai, I'm so proud of you. Usually Izzy is the romantic one, I'm glad you've finally stepped up to bat."

"Yah, well, without your help I may strike out. Any ideas?"

"Ok, this is sort of embarrassing, but it may work for you. Davis tried this on me once and well…"

"KARI! GROSS!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Izzy had spent the entire morning and afternoon with his parents celebrating their anniversary. He thought it odd that they wouldn't want to spend it alone, but didn't argue much when it came to getting free food.

"I'm supposed to meet Tai later, but he hasn't texted me all day" thought Izzy. Then, as though he had summoned it, a text from Tai graced the front screen of Izzy's phone.

"Meet me on the top floor of the convention center in 20 minutes, if you'd please "

"The convention center?" said Izzy. "What on earth was Tai doing there? And why did he need me to come?"

Despite his many unanswered questions, Izzy took of for the convention center. It was nearing 7:30 and he knew the convention center would be pretty empty by now. He wondered if one of Tai's relatives was having a party in one of the available rental areas.

Soon enough, Izzy walked through the front doors of the massive building and took the elevator straight to the top. Just as he suspected, he hadn't run into a single person. The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened up to reveal a familiar head of bushy brown hair.

"Izzy! You got here a lot faster than I thought you would" Tai quickly kissed Izzy before taking his hand and moving quickly towards the staircase.

"Tai, could you explain what's going on?" Izzy didn't like being in the dark about things, but Tai loved to do this to him.

"We have to go to the roof. You need a key to open the door, so I figured I'd just wait for you on the top floor." Tai was essentially running up the stairs at this point, all while managing to keep Izzy's hand in a tight grip.

"The roof?" thought Izzy. It was then Izzy decided just to go with the flow. There was no reading Tai like a book, nor would it ever be so easy to figure out the soccer player.

Tai unlocked the door the roof to reveal what Izzy had been wondering about for the last 30 minutes. A purple blanket with a picnic basket sat in the middle of the roof, two plates set on either side of it. The sun was basking the two boys in light as it prepared to set on the day.

"Tai, how did you manage this?" Izzy felt very flustered and just knew his face had changed to tomato red.

"Davis has an uncle who works here. I don't have the money to rent an actual space in the convention center, but they only charge $25 for the roof!" Tai had yet to let go of Izzy's hand. He walked him to the blanket, sat him down, and sat across from him.

"Well, I hope you're not too hungry," said Tai opening the basket. "I'm no cook, but I bought us a watermelon!"

Izzy burst out laughing at the sight of his boyfriend removing a large watermelon from the picnic basket. He laughed harder imagining Tai carry the melon from his house and all the way up to the roof of the convention center.

"Hey, don't make fun of me! This was the best I could do!" Tai lovingly punched Izzy on the arm.

"No, no, really, this is great. I love watermelon!" Izzy had reduced his outburst to a giggle.

"Duh, that's why I got it! Now to cut it…" Tai had grabbed the largest of knives from his house. Izzy moved back slightly to avoid it. Even Tai was thinking maybe he was in over his head.

"Here, babe. It's seedless," said Tai finally conquering the melon. "Well, except for those little white seeds. Are they not seeds? I don't really understand it honestly."

"I honestly can't even tell you," said Izzy digging in to his piece. Izzy watched his boyfriend cut himself a piece and immediately stuff a large part of it into his mouth. He hoped he wouldn't have to remember CPR on this date. He smiled as Tai had replaced his smile with a slice of watermelon.

Tai watched Izzy as he ate his watermelon. Every so often, Izzy would spit out the white seeds and place them in his napkin. "He's always so proper, even when it's just the two of us," thought Tai knowing he just spit out the seeds as he pleased. "He's so gentle, so delicate. How did I ever get so lucky?"

"Thank you for this, Tai," said Izzy as he finished his fruit. "I'm not going to lie to you, I was afraid things wouldn't be this good again after the other day. I'm so grateful for you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Tai was touched by Izzy's sincere gesture. He suddenly felt warmth that even the setting sun couldn't provide. Making Izzy happy made him happy.

"I'm the one who is grateful, Izzy. I'm beyond grateful for you. Please don't ever change."

Izzy crawled over to the taller boy and tucked his head underneath his arm. Tai pulled Izzy in and smelled his red hair.

Tai smiled at how well this had gone. He'd have to thank Kari later. He'd likely have to thank Davis as well. Maybe keeping this promise to himself wouldn't be as hard as he thought.

The sun seemed to wave goodbye as it set, leaving the cuddling boys, their purple blanket, and watermelon seeds in a sacred kind of dark.


	4. Pros, Cons, and Hot Dogs

"Alright, it's all settled!" Izzy got up from his desk and away from his computer after being in the same position for nearly three hours.

"Keio orientation on June 6th, Nagaoka orientation on June 20th!" said the excited red head. "I can't wait!"

"All I'm hearing is that I have two Saturdays of listening to boring preparation lectures," said Tai lounging on the Izumi's couch.

"At least we'll be together, Taichi. You'd probably fall asleep at Keio if I wasn't going with you."

Tai was caught off guard by the use of his full name. Nobody ever called him that, not even his parents. He was only named Taichi for the formalities. Tai would have looked silly on a birth certificate.

"I'll give you that one, babe. You're like my own personal caffeine." Tai laughed at his own words before getting lost in a T.V. movie.

Izzy went to mark the two orientation dates on his calendar and, after circling them both in red, noticed June 13th right in the middle. "Given that I'm taking two Saturdays away from Tai, we should probably do something fun on that day," thought Izzy.

He blushed as he remembered the convention center roof from about a week ago. "Tai went to a lot of trouble for that, I may as well even the score," thought Izzy marking the 13th with a tiny star.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"May 28th. 82 days until we leave for school," thought Tai. "Wasn't it just a 100 days like yesterday?" Tai felt like a cheap, broken hourglass that let more sand flow than normal hourglasses. Time was moving too fast for his liking.

"Mr. Kamiya, I'll only ask one more time that you not lean on the counters." A short, stout man with an unruly beard uttered this to Tai. He wore a bright orange shirt and a hat with a hot dog depicted on it.

"Sorry, sir. Won't happen again!" Tai was forced to get a job by his parents recently. His tuition was set, as his parents had been saving all his life. Textbooks were another story.

Tai halfheartedly stood up and greeted the next customer, handing them a long hotdog and feeling super embarrassed to be wearing the same uniform as his boss.

"Thanks for choosing Wong's Dogs! Hope to see you again!" said Tai as enthusiastically as possible. His boss nodded with approval before returning to his "office" in the kitchen.

Tai had asked everyone he knew if they needed a job, mostly to avoid having to work alone. Matt was still on tour, Sora and Joe were in school, Mimi didn't need a job, and T.K. and Kari were still to young to work without parental permission.

"I hate to break it to you, babe, but I've been saving money since before junior year," said Izzy when Tai came crawling to him. "I don't need a job, but how bad could yours be?"

As a customer broke the mustard dispenser and it spilled all over the floor, Tai mentally responded to his boyfriend's looming question. "BAD."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Izzy prepared to make himself dinner, he wished Tentomon wasn't sound asleep in his room. With his parents out shopping and Tai at work, Tentomon was his only source of company. "Maybe he'll wake up to the smell of food cooking," thought Izzy. "Yah, that ought to do it."

Like clockwork, as the smell of Izzy's food worked it's way around the apartment, fluttering wings could be heard approaching the kitchen. "Izzy! You're eating? Without me? I thought we were friends!"

"Simmer down, Tentomon," laughed Izzy. "I made some for you too."

The digidestined of knowledge and his partner sat down in front of the television for their meal. Tentomon led the conversation.

Izzy was glad to spend quality time with his partner. He hadn't spent as much time with him lately as every moment of free time went to being with Tai. "I'm so foolish, no matter where I go, I'll have to take Tentomon with me," thought Izzy.

"Tentomon, could I ask you a question?" asked Izzy.

"Well you just did, but you may ask another, yes," joked Tentomon.

"When I go to school, would you like to come with me? I completely understand if you'd rather stay here at home. The food is better and you'd have more room to yourself." Izzy waited anxiously for an answer.

"Of course I'm coming with you, Izzy," yelled Tentomon. "I have to protect you all the time, I couldn't let you leave without ME!"

"I'm glad to hear it, buddy!" Izzy was relieved. He felt much more secure knowing even if he chose Nagaoka, he'd still have someone there with him.

"But it will sure be a crowded room if you go to school with Tai," said Tentomon interrupting Izzy's thoughts. "Cause then it will be you, me, Tai AND Agumon. Talk about a party!"

"That actually sounds like a lot of fun," said Izzy honestly. "You're right about it being crowded, but I think we'll be able to manage."

Izzy had spent a lot of time building a list of pros and cons about both his school options. With Tentomon being his ride or die and the thought of living with both Tai and Agumon brought to the table, pros were added to both Keio and Nagaoka. "This is going to be a close race," thought Izzy.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tai dreaded his current work schedule. After closing his first night on Thursday, he had to work all day Friday and Saturday and then again Monday. It was Tuesday and he had to close yet again by himself.

"Just focus on the money, Tai, the money," thought the ketchup stained soccer player to himself.

"Mr. Kamiya, I'm headed home. I assume you can lock her up by yourself?"

Tai secretly rolled his eyes at his manager. "Yes, sir, I got it. Have a nice night!"

As Tai cleaned out the condiment dispensers and restocked the napkins, all he could think about was Izzy. Being at work so much cut down the time the two could spend together. He got to see him briefly on Sunday before having to go to his cousin's birthday party.

Izzy excitingly told him about Tentomon's realization that going to Keio would mean that the two AND their digimon would be living in the same room. "I can't believe Izzy is so excited about the prospect of having less space to himself," said Tai out loud, as he was now alone. "But whatever, I'm not complaining about him liking the idea of Keio more."

Tai swept the floor and made sure the kitchen door was locked for the third time. As he swept the dirt into a dustpan, he couldn't help feel as though he wasn't alone.

Standing up from the floor, he was greeted by a friend whose eyes were red, puffy, and filled to the brink with tears. She wore a tank and long yoga pants. Her red hair was unkempt and stood up in several places. It looked like she hadn't gotten dressed in days. She ran up to Tai and hugged him before bursting into tears.

"Sora?"


	5. Orientation: Keio

"Tai, I…I don't know what to do anymore!"

Tai tried to gather himself as he evaluated his sudden situation switch. Sora looked, for a lack of better (and nicer) words, horrendous. Her smell wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience either.

"Sora," uttered Tai in a whisper, "Could you just tell me what's wrong?"

Sora removed herself from Tai's arms and straightened her posture. She sniffled, rubbing her puffy eyes before speaking again.

"I miss Matt. We made such an awful decision, such a hasty decision. I can't not be with him anymore, I need him." Sora started to tear up again, but managed to overpower her ducts need to empty.

Tai was at a loss for words. People usually didn't come to him for stuff like this, this was more Mimi's department. But he wasn't about to let Sora walk away from this not feeling any better.

"Sora, talk to him. Last I checked, he wasn't exactly thrilled about having y'all having to end things," said Tai. "Distance shouldn't be able to ruin the connection between two people." Tai cringed as he realized the hypocrisy of his advice.

"I've tried, but he's so hard to get in touch with," cried Sora. "I feel like he'd rather be away and unhappy, then be away and still with me."

"You know that's not true, Sora," said Tai. "You two were made for one another. Matt just has a history of making everything a hell of a lot more difficult than it has to be. You have to remind him how great he makes you, how great you make him. How great you are together. He'll come around."

Sora burst into tears yet again, but these tears represented relief instead of sadness. "Tai, how do you always know what to say?" The digidestined of love embraced the soccer player tightly. "I'm gonna go find him. I need to see him."

"Follow your heart, you've always been good at that," said Tai with a smirk.

Sora looked towards her feet and placed her hand over her heart. "Thank you, Tai." She ran off to the entrance of the mall and disappeared with the sound of the large glass doors slamming.

Tai smiled knowing he helped a close friend. He blushed realizing this entire ordeal took place at 12:30 a.m. under a sign with a giant, neon smiling hotdog.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

June 6th snuck up on Izzy like one of those ghosts from Super Mario. Two days prior, he was still thinking Keio orientation was at least a week away. Summer had a way of making Izzy lose track of the days.

"Good morning, cutie," said Izzy meeting Tai at the bus that would take them to Keio. Izzy kissed Tai, who was already sitting on the bench, on the forehead.

"Good morning to you too, babe," said Tai with a yawn. "Excited for today?" Tai clung on desperately for a positive response.

"Of course, it's an orientation! The possible start to the next chapter of our lives!" Izzy was giddy with excitement, a mood rarely displayed by the computer genius.

The couple boarded the bus and feel asleep together watching the movie playing on a tiny screen at the front of the vehicle. It took a little more than an hour to arrive at Keio University. Despite being towards the back, Tai and Izzy were the first off the bus. The pair made haste for the student center.

"Welcome to Keio University, freshmen!" yelled a tall, blonde student leader. "Please sign in at the front desk and enjoy your day!"

Tai and Izzy paused to look at each other and smiled. Tai grabbed Izzy's hand and they entered the student center together.

"Four words: Feed me, I'm exhausted." Tai crashed onto the bus seat and he and Izzy boarded the same bus the return home. The pair was decked out in Keio gear and had everything from coupon books to Keio themed key chains.

"We'll eat once we get back to Odaiba," said Izzy to his boyfriend. "I'm exhausted too, I can't even think straight." Izzy plopped down into the seat adjacent to Tai and rested his head on his shoulder.

The bus took off right as the sun sank from view and the same movie from earlier started playing again. Tai wondered how many times the driver had seen this movie.

The bus only carried six people, five excluding the driver. Silence and stillness filled all the empty seats. Only the boy's soft whispers to one another echoed.

"So…how did you like it?" asked Tai hesitantly. As he expected, Tai had loved Keio. They had an enormous soccer field and a gym with more equipment than Tai had ever seen in his life. The dorm rooms were small, but cozy. And each room had it's own bathroom, meaning Tai and Izzy wouldn't have to share with anyone else. Tai liked this for several different reasons.

"I liked it a lot, honestly," said Izzy. "It was so beautiful and the atmosphere was calming. I especially loved all the different computer lab facilities. You're just in reach of a computer no matter where you are on campus." Izzy paused to turn to Tai.

"But I can't really make a decision quite yet. I haven't even seen Nagaoka. Once I have all the facts, then I can really choose."

Izzy then quickly turned away from his boyfriend, likely in fear of what would come next. Tai knew Izzy would be afraid to voice his opinions.

"Babe, I never wanted you to make a decision today. That would have been ridiculous. It's your choose, so you get to pick your speed. I'm just glad to hear you liked it as much as I did." Tai pecked Izzy on the lips and placed a blanket around the both of them. Soon, only Tai's snores echoed off the walls of the bus.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Tai had crashed at Izzy's place once they arrived back in Odaiba. It was far too late for him to walk all the way back home.

Izzy awoke early that Sunday morning to compare computer labs at Keio to the ones at Nagaoka. "If it's as good a school as they make themselves out to be, they should have better facilities," thought Izzy.

Mr. Izumi must have fallen asleep on the couch and forgotten to turn off the T.V., Izzy assumed as he was greeted by the sound of cartoons walking into his living room.

Izzy feel deep into his early morning research. He worried the sound of clicks and typing would wake up the rest of the household, but nobody had stirred yet.

Mrs. Izumi walked in at 8:00 to make coffee for herself and Mr. Izumi. "Already hard at work, son? I'm so proud that you take such initiative." She walked to the living room to lounge on the couch.

Izzy poured himself some milk and was about to continue looking at Nagaoka when his mother gestured to the T.V. with a mouth full of coffee.

Izzy glanced at the screen to see a well-known Japanese soccer player, Yoshito Ōkubo, waving to an audience he really couldn't see. Mrs. Izumi turned the volume up just in time for Izzy to hear.

"Win your chance to meet Yoshito Ōkubo at a striking contest, June 13th at Sonic Field!" The commercial played cheesy music for about 15 more seconds before moving on. "June 13th," said Izzy aloud. "That's the day I wanted to do something fun with Tai. This is perfect!"

"Aww, that would be just great!" said Mrs. Izumi. "You could surprise him with it!"

Izzy knew Tai was obsessed with Japan's national soccer team. To meet one of the players would be the best gift Izzy ever gave him. As for the contest, Izzy had faith Tai could outscore any player in Japan.

Tai emerged from Izzy's bedroom, shirtless and groggy. "What are you doing up so early, babe?"

"Oh, nothing. Research, the usual," said Izzy. "Nothing exciting at all."

Izzy could hardly contain himself as he thought about the upcoming Saturday. The hard part would be keeping the contest a secret from Tai.

Tai flipped through the channels and jumped up and down when he found a soccer game. "Oh, look, Japan is playing!"

Mrs. Izumi looked over at her son and giggled, as to not give anything away. Izzy blushed so hard he had to excuse himself.

(Super sorry this update took so long, I hope you like it! I won't promise there won't be a long break again, but I'm hoping I can deliver a lot sooner next time!)


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